Find your footing.
The times are slippery.
Permit me to recommend The Rock (not Dwayne Johnson)
The storms will come (they always do)
It’s not just about the material you build with
It’s also about ‘where’ you have built your shelter
Get on the Rock
A sure point of reference
Your vertebra column
Because surely, in this
This monotonous druggery you’ll slip (sleep) off
But your sure crimp
Is you firmly planted on the Rock!
Side note: Jesus is the Rock. No other way to say it.
By Lawrence Okenyi
Who is still awake like I am?. In my analytical way I have given this Gen Z matter some thought.
I have a teenage daughter and boys that are becoming very conscious of themselves, so the matter is worth giving a thought to.
History has shown that major changes occur in the church when technology advances. The Lutheran objection to the Roman Catholic church occured at the time of the breakthrough in the printing press technology, with the capacity to mass produce books and we know the Bible was a scarce document at the time.
With the breakthrough on social media today and what is referred to as citizen journalism, every Joe now has a voice and there is a ‘democratization’ of information, knowledge does cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The millennials and Gen Zs have access to information at the click of a button that was hitherto locked away in libraries.
People in church today have access to other voices around the globe. This has the tendency to challenge the status quo.
This development has it’s positive and negative sides.
It is my opinion that young people are more open minded than the Gen X and baby boomers whose minds have been harrowed by the winter of life, making them more cautious and rather closed minded.
The problem is that God is passing information all the time and it’s the open minded that are more prone to accommodate new ideas.
The best way to approach millennials and Gen Zs is to listen to them. Don’t stifle them because their approach seems different, don’t stereotype them either just because they tend to be louder than usual. Eliab called David stubborn and loving danger and tried to shut David down. Saul asked David to wear his armour, thinking it was the only way to defeat Goliath, if armours save why didn’t Saul use it instead? We must learn to listen to the younger generation, God has communicated certain solutions to them, their approach may not be conventional but listen to them all the same.
The down side is that the younger generation are not as focused as we were growing up, the distraction of social media is real, the discipline to stay focused is priceless.
Another downside is that they are prone to pride, the Bible says knowledge puffs up. David did not listen to Eliab neither did he take on Saul’s armour but David’s knowledge had been tested in the backside of the desert, he had overcome a hungry lion and a ferocious bear. Don’t be puffed up with knowledge you have not tested.
Don’t be puffed up with knowledge you have not tested.
– Lawrence Okenyi
After the young ladies sang that David had killed his 10 thousands, David still went back to the sheepfold even after the national awards and recognition. David still honoured Saul when Saul went after his life and called him God’s anointed. The tendency to criticize everyone and call them names on social media was not something David would have done.
This leads to my third consideration of the downsides. On the social media highway, the younger generation is exposed to all kinds of information, they must be witty enough to sift the wheat from the chaff like David did. There is a massive onslaught of an anti Christ movement going on; and social media has aided it a great deal. To gain audience they started by attacking tithing and they have since grown in sophistication peddling all kinds of heresies. It got so bad that Daddy Freeze started mentoring some. David could reject Saul’s armour but never said anything evil about Saul even though Saul was not a good guy.
This democratization of information like I call it gives this generation a sense of freedom, freedom is good if the boundaries are clearly marked. Someone referred to it as “taking a dog on a walk without a leash”. The young generation must learn to be more discerning and be accountable to an authority figure, they must learn that “freedom is a myth and only exists within predestined structure”.
Let’s allow the younger generation to thrive, they may make their mistakes as long as it is not fatal, let’s give them opportunities for expression. They do bring a lot to the table.
The leash may be long but let there be a leash regardless.
Good night.
Let’s allow the younger generation to thrive, they may make their mistakes as long as it is not fatal, let’s give them opportunities for expression
– Lawrence Okenyi
Lawrence Okenyi is the pastor of The Baptizing Church, Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria.
February 14…
“I love the red bag, it’s so beautiful omoh! I need to see the price tag” Sharon retorted.
She drew close to the bag to see the price.
“Fifty thousand naira, I assume this price is to acquire a land” she mumbled in desperation.
“So economical, In a day I spend over two hundred thousand naira(200k) on just fragrance and spray”. Dorris responded.
“Just on spray? I would preferably buy the northerners smell for #500 than buy two hundred thousand spray, Last I checked; I don’t have body odour so why I come dey stress myself(why the unnecessary tension)?” she managed to say as her voice faded off.
Sussie, Olivia, Rachy and Dorris had been pals way back the four gave their group an acronymn “SORD SQUAD” undoubtedly they were certainly big gurls.
Each of the girls has nothing less than four cars they shuffled cars like apparel. The biggest babes of all their four cars is a big bang..
Sussie drove the latest Range rover, Olivia drove the latest SUV sport babe, Rachy drove the latest Prado Jeep like Ooshara(brand new), Dorris drove the latest Benzenela(Benz). smiles. They rocked with the baddest(my way of making you know how bad this guys were, semantically wrong though smiles) guys.
Their ambition for the year is to get a jet, they needed to step up their games and rebrand their package.
Sharon a young spirited lady barely in her early twenties.She hailed from a humble background.She attended a private school during her primary school period where she learnt how to speak queens English.
Hearing her speak will confuse you of her background plus she was also good looking, fair and smart.Feeding became difficult for her parent they couldn’t afford the fee to secondary her parent enrolled her to a government secondary. She performed excellently well but there was no money to obtain the Jamb form and fix her tertiary education.
One of her neighbors informed her about the chore job vacancy on the island, She obliged.
Sharon was on one of the regular errand when she bumped into the ‘SORD SQUAD’.
I guess the four girls were deceived with her spoken English and fair skin since then they picked her up but sharon was appearing not so tush Asap.
“Don’t worry just pick anything, all bills on us” The SORD squad chorused.
‘”Thanks” Sharon responded with a faint smile, she had thought the four girls were her heaven sent angels. She moved in with them but she showed them a big aunt respect.
January 21st,
“I think it’s high time we stop giving this fish a fish let’s teach her how to catch fish” Rachy vaunted impatiently.
“Haba, Rachy you just disappointed me you know this girl needs serious grooming why rush up the fish” Dorris responded.
“Am sorry gurls but time they go(The time is running out)” Rachy added.
” I will want us to reach an agreement on a day to truly let this fish down the deep” Sussie responded.
Did I remember to add that the “SORD SQUAD” fraternity needed a fresh blood that would handle matters related to fraud.
They were in need of a fair skinned young lady’s picture that would be used on all social media handles to help their boos fraud the white men.
“Yes, I would suggest February 14th next month by then the fish would have been well-fed, then we hit the bang”. Olivia the most calculative of the girls suggested.
“Wow! perfect, then we initiate her instantly” The squad said in unison.
Sharon kept going out on a regular occasion with the girls but anytime she asked about their jobs they try as much as they can to stay coded. She knew something was amiss but she decided to play along……Was playing along the best to do, kwantinue reading…….
Days grew to weeks and weeks to month.
February 13th
The five girls went shopping they spent quality time together……
FEBRUARY 14TH
The “SORD SQUAD” wore the same designers they drove In a red coated limousine car.
Sharon was also gorgeously dressed, Their car arrived at the Yanky beach along the island.The sandy side of the beach was crowded with young guys and ladies.
The colour red travelled across the beach beautifully.
The five girls got to their reserved lodge to check-in. They awaited the arrival of their boos so as to execute their plans.
Ray, Kay, Walex, Presh were the “Sord squad” boos their net worth was more than $500billion(dollars) a whole lot of money. These guys were topnotch fraudsters, cheat and illegal business guys they also brought along with them a young technologist so as to make him build more website for their devilish enterprise.
Feb 13th(Yesterday)
The four guys successfully hacked a multibillion dollar company’s account : Unknown to them that the company had sound technologist they traced the source of the cyberpunk with serious monitoring and speculation.
“Hey gurls” Presh greeted the “Sord Squad” he was the spokesman for the other guys.
“My love, Awnnn! you cute” Dorris his bae responded swiftly.
“My knight in shining armour” Olivia appraised Ray.
The four girls lurked around their prospective boyfriend.
The guys had paid for all expenses they were celebrating their latest hit.They manipulated so much coded words amongst themselves.
The beach was so crowded, various odour travelled across the beach ranging from red wine,pepper soup, smoothie, beef corned pepper, suya, amongst many others.
Sharon was quite unstable with the guys around but she played along with them.
“Is this our new fish?”. Wale inquired.
“Yes our fish will be let out today, thank you for bringing the tech guy. It’s a perfect match” Dorris responded.
“Who is the fish and what is the meaning of fish?”. Sharon muttered in silence
They began by introducing one another, the guys brought out smoking equipment. They drank to stupor are to the fullest around 11:10pm the police invaded the beach unaware.
Sharon visited the lavatory to have herself cleaned up. The reason she had stayed with the “SORD SQUAD” this long was to see them as big sisters during her stay in the tertiary institution not for all these mess of clubbing, partying and cruising.
Presh was the first to see the policemen as they surrounded the beach.
“Kay, Ray, Walex guys lets pose” That was their usual way of telling each other to run from trouble.
“Bang! Bang! the police fired shots in the air..
Presh was shot on his right arms the other guys surrendered easily.
The police searched their belongings they found daggers, knives,blades all for the planned initiation.
“Let’s go girls” Dorris ordered the squad….
They all stood up at once to take their leave from the crime scene, It was too late to pose.
Rachy was shot on her left leg.
The other girls ranted with the police for stepping on their human rights….
Sharon heard noises and voices from the lavatory she hurried out to see what was happening, peeping to see through the storex pillar she saw as the police led the nine of them out of the beach.
The police siren sounded so intensely, everyone at the beach stood still trying to find out what was happening no one understood.
Sharon ran towards their seat to pick up her petite bag and the house key, she hurried out of the beach to pickup her bags from the “SORD SQUAD” apartment.
She suddenly bumped into the spare room in the apartment only for her to see her name boldly written on the wall with February 14th she read through the words attached to the picture.
“God! so I was to be initiated tonight by 12am on the beach without my consent, Thank you Lord”Sharon packed up her things she fled off.
She vowed never to go on any outing with anyone every February 14th.
The End…….
Sharon had a slim escape let’s thank God for having interest in her maybe her parent prayers and blessings but let’s be real with ourselves this beautiful day has repositioned a whole lot of lives while many lives have been been slained on the altar of immorality.
How about reaching out to the unreached about the gospel of Christ, how about putting smiles on the faces of the less privilege.
Nowhere is safe I tell you with Christ in your boat you can sail peacefully. He loves you.
Always remember this your impact in life goes a longer way than your age let’s hijack our teenagers before the devil tames them…..
Make this a Valentine to remember.
This Valentine be valid…..
QT for quality thanks
Just Believe
I believe
Lady Omolara T.J
By Omolara Jegede Dexterity
Femi was young man in his early thirties, he is currently running his Post graduate programme in prestigious private university in town no doubt he was fair to look upon with big brain.
“Good morning sir ” The Female cafeteria attendant(Bimbo)in the university responded courteously.
“Good morning” He responded with a bon face
“Place your order” She emphasized.
“Please is Bunmi in? the other female attendant” He replied with contempt.
“No sir, she has stopped work here”
“Oh I see, what’s your qualifications cos I can’t allow a low degree person serve me food I believe by now the cafeteria director should have at least told you” Femi bragged in his tone.
Bimbo a smart, young lady she was also running her PhD programme in a Federal university her aunt owns the cafe due to laçk of staff her aunt had implored her to help out at the cafe that weekend.
“I be primary school leaver oga (I am)” she switched to Pidgin trying to see the drama the Femi guy was going to perform she had always heard about him.
“Bloody shit, Can you call out your manager before hell let loose here I can’t imagine a low life serving me with all my level of academc/ ceremonial award”. Femi blurted out in rage.
What’s happening here the manager came downstairs swiftly.
The whole scenario was narrated to him.
The manager smiled, I know a day like this would eventually come ” How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war.. ” I think for this scenario that verse of the scripture should go like this “How are the proud disgraced and their back brought down low”.
At this juncture the manager’s phone rang it was the Director she was viewing all the dramatic display from the CCTV in her office.
“Manager, what’s happening downstairs?” Mrs. Horlick queried.
“It’s the PhD man ma, he is speaking rashly to miss Bimbo because she said she’s a school leaver you know his problem with qualifications I doubt if the man is mentally fine” The manager said few metres away to the scene.
In a jiffy the director came downstairs..
“Mr. man what exactly is the color of your problem sir? why so pained on this issue of qualification who cares about who serves food at the cafeteria if not an insane person like, are you even sane? All this while you come with annoying questions to my staff and I try as much as possible to keep you coded but since you can’t take or surpress your pride I will help you do that without torture.”Mrs. Horlick sounded in rage.
Femi stood still with arms akimbo trying to see what the verdict of Bimbo would look like ..
“The young lady is my own biological sister, Mr man she is also running her PhD programme and if not, does that give you the audacity to mentally silence my staff with academic qualification?. Henceforth, I seek your indulgence that you stop patronising us. It appears we have given you too wide chances that you nag at every slightest moment losing you as a customer isn’t going to cost this cafe any loss. I will say this so everyone can hear the reason why we lack staff is because of your personal law code please leave so I can employ young people that needs to put food on their table” Mrs. Horlick concluded.
Mrs. Horlick hurried up the stairs it’s been decades she spoke rashly to anyone she was an introvert a highly rated phelgmatic..
“Professor Femi, please take your leave” Bimbo whispered.
Writer’s corner
Pride indeed goes before a fall, whatsoever position we find ourselves in life we should never see it as our legal right but as a privilege which is to be maximized carefully.
No one has it all that which you have is someone else’s prayer point and vice versa.
Let’s look into what God’s word state about pride “When pride comes, then comes disgrace” Proverbs 11:2
Music minister, Teachers , political leaders etc check your pride level with the pridometer app before disgrace sets in.
We receive grace not to be disgraced…..
If you are blessed kindly like, comment&share ….
Blessed art thou
#Supercilious#
#Dexterity#
Just Believe
I Believe
Lady Omolara T.J
Ignite 